SmartDrivel

Ever get confused when you are watching an Auburn football game and they are referred to as the Tigers but then their fans all cheer for the War Eagles? Or want the backstory on the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs? Then you go down the mascot rabbit hole and try to figure out why Alabama is called the Crimson Tide yet their mascot is an Elephant? Ya. Well, so did Jon and Kurt. They take a crack at trying to explain or demystify the crazy, nonsensical world of college nicknames and mascots. Rah rah Anteaters!

The 1970s saw the advent of bell bottoms, the rise of Donny Osmond, and the proliferation of new chain restaurants across the country. The affordability of these new “casual dining” experiences coupled with some of their themes and hooks, got the American family to venture out of the home kitchen more often. Sadly, these iconic restaurants of our youth–the Hojos, the Bennigans, the Pizza & Brews, to name just a few–are now gone. Relics of the past. Jon and Kurt enjoy discussing, reminiscing, and conjuring up what it was like to patronize these places. Bring your own peanuts and sawdust…

Most folks know by now that Viagra was not originally intended to solve a sexual issue, but they’d be amazed how Lysol was first marketed. In this episode, Jon and Kurt investigate products that became accidental commercial successes in different ways than initially contemplated. Listerine was supposed to cure gonorrhea? Oh boy.

The boys were in a conversation the other day when they both started using common  phrases in a nerdy “one-upsmanship” kind of way. It started innocently enough with Jon mentioning something about being “called on the carpet” and then Kurt mentioning how excited he was for the upcoming slate of “white elephant” parties. And it ended with them thinking it would make a good episode to dig into the origin stories of phrases such as these. They are hoping you think this episode “passes with flying colors”.

Did you know that the words written on Twitter every single day would fill a book of ten million pages? Did you know that “buttload” is an actual measurement? Jon and Kurt have fun in this episode doling out seemingly ridiculous statements that are actually true. They sound faker than Kurt’s french accent, but are 100% correct.

In an episode that quickly diverted from the chosen topic--really stupid questions people ask-- and never returned to it (luckily, this is a weekly podcast so there is always another opportunity),  Kurt discusses how he can immediately spot someone not to be trusted. Jon, sometimes incredulously, tries to understand Kurt’s logic. Apparently, according to Kurt, there are three traits that, if possessed by someone, immediately tip off Kurt that the person is not to be trusted. It all makes for an intriguing window into what makes the boys tick.

What is a contronym you ask? The definition is “a word with two opposite meanings.” Huh? You mean to tell me that you can use a word, feeling good about it, and then all of a sudden that same exact word can be taken as the complete opposite? Holy cow, this is confusing. So, Jon and Kurt decide to dive into it head on and–buckle up–you need to fasten your seat belt, er, um or will you unfasten and–buckle at the knees? Damn. Well, they try to give some examples so we can spot one when we see one. Aloha. Darn, there's another one...

It happens all the time–at least to Kurt it does–there you are, sitting at a dinner regaling everyone with curious and interesting facts. Like where f.u.c.# comes from. Or the length of Twinkies half-life. Or the toilet was invented by Thomas Crapper. You know, the great stories that people love to hear. The problem is, what happens all the time is some kill joy of a person decides to tell the crowd how these facts are just not true. And then they prove it. Social fun balloon now popped. Well, Kurt and Jon in this episode aim to get all these “false fun  facts” out in the open all at once, so the others you hear at the next party will for sure have to be true.

We’ve all been there: you are having a really good time at the party and imbibe just a wee bit too much. Enough too much that the following morning you feel like crap. So you try all sorts of things to mitigate the pain. To no avail. The hangover persists. Humankind has been searching for a solution to this for 10,000 years–ever since that first accidental beer was brewed. In this episode, join Jon and Kurt as they discuss some of the more creative, oldest, and just plain odd hangover remedies. It is almost enough to make you want to have a drink (or four).

Episode 131: The Mirror is Wrong

Jon and Kurt delve back into words in this episode. Seems they are super nerds about words. Here they look at word couples that look the same, yet have different meanings. Like insensible and nonsensical. Or disused vs unused. Or, oral arguments vs. Orel Hershiser’s pitching stats. Ok, that last one doesn’t fit, but they boys do discuss it in classic Smart Drivel form.